The use of computer systems and computer-related technologies continues to increase at a rapid pace. Computer systems have increasingly become an integral part of both the social and business worlds and the activities of individual consumers. Computer systems may be used to carry out all manner of business, industry, and academic endeavors. The wide-spread use of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet and, more recently, social media networks, such as, for example, FACEBOOK®, TWITTER®, etc.
One particular aspect of the Internet is that it makes information of all variety, from a variety of sources, readily available. An organization stands to benefit by making a wide range of information available to users within its organization. The wide range of data sources and the availability of information, including over the Internet, can in some instances allow users to be more efficient in their responsibilities within the organization. Savvy organizations may seek to gather and analyze the data in order to present it to users within the organization in a way that is most beneficial to that organization and/or its users.
These realties can pose various challenges, however. For example, the volume of information makes it difficult for an organization to pinpoint the data that is the most pertinent to that particular organization's purposes. As a second example, the number of sources of information can make it difficult for organizations to identify the sources of data that are most likely to have pertinent information for that organization. A third example of a challenge posed is that time spent reviewing and analyzing data as it is made available can prevent collaboration between all interested parties of the community regarding how to optimize the analysis and dissemination of available data.
A need exists for organizations consisting of or housing communities for improved integration, analysis, and dissemination of data within those communities.